EA announces overhauled progression system for Star Wars Battlefront II

Back in November, controversy overshadowed EA’s highly anticipated sequel to their Star Wars shooter just before release. It was revealed that in the game’s multiplayer, players could purchase packs with real money that unlocked powerful abilities and perks that could give them a serious advantage over other players.

On top of that, the progression system was so slow and flawed that it almost encouraged players to buy microtransactions so they could quickly unlock better stuff for their characters. The backlash from the public was so serious that it grabbed the attention of various gambling regulators and government officials who began evaluating how microtransactions in video games should be handled going forward.

EA quickly made it so microtransactions were removed from the game and began working on a way to fix the progression system. After five months, EA has finally overhauled the progression system in Star Wars Battlefront II. In a new blog post, they outlined the changes that will be added on March 21st.

For starters, the game’s Star Cards which grant new abilities and perks will not be available through microtransactions. They will only be accessible through “Skill Points” which are earned exclusively by leveling up specific heroes, ships, and multiplayer classes with XP. It’s not clear if some Star Cards will cost more than others but Skill Points will only be earned by playing the game and leveling up specific units.

EA has removed the ability to purchase anything outside of cosmetic items with microtransactions. Starting on the 21st, players will only be able to buy things that affect the appearances of their characters instead of things that can give you an upper hand in gameplay. Star Cards have also been removed from the game’s loot boxes so there’s no need to worry about having to gamble for better gear.

Crates can only be earned through login bonuses and completing challenges now, the only items featured in those crates are cosmetic items and credits which you can use to buy other cosmetic items. If you don’t feel like saving your credits, you can buy Crystals with real money to buy other cosmetic items but nothing that affects gameplay.

It sounds like EA really took the criticisms to heart and potentially saw some actual damage done to their profits over the controversy. It’s good to see studios listening to the players and hopefully, this signals a bright future for EA going forward.

Star Wars Battlefront II is available now on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.